The disclosure relates to image display technologies. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a display panel. The display panel 1 is formed by a deposition step, several photolithography steps, and several etching steps, among others. In any of the aforementioned processing steps, electrostatic charge may accumulate in the display panel. Since electrostatic charge tends to accumulate at the ends of a long metal line, a non-display area 14 is usually required around a display area 12 for reducing the potential of electrostatic discharging damage.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a portion or block 16 of the display panel 1. Electrostatic charge can be relieved by thin-film transistors (TFTs) in non-display area 14. Taking a long metal line 20 as an example, electrostatic charge is easily accumulated in the end of metal line 20 and then voltage potential decreases from the end to the middle portion of the metal line 20. As such, a dielectric breakdown event will occur in gates of TFTs 141˜143 when electrostatic charge accumulated in the left end of metal line 20 reaches a threshold value. Therefore, electrostatic charge can be relieved by the dielectric breakdown event.
Since the dielectric breakdown event is non-recoverable, TFTs 141˜143 are easily damaged by electrostatic charge. Electrostatic charge will easily damage TFTs in display area 12 as the accumulated electrostatic charge is larger than that TFTs 141˜143 can relieve. Therefore, defects may easily occur in display area 12. Additionally, TFTs 141˜143 are incrementally damaged more easily as the amount of electrostatic charge increases during manufacture.